There are a couple of aspects to ARK that are probably quite unsurprising for people experienced at playing survival games, but are incredibly handy for those new to the genre. The following five tips should come in handy for everyone who isn’t taking advantage of them already.

Your pickup-key has a 360° radius

Contrary to what many people believe, and what would be intuitive, you don’t actually have to look at something to pick it up. The ‘E’-key works as a general pick-up that will simply collect everything in a certain radius around you. What makes this realization particularly useful is that it means you can spam the E-key and walk around while picking up many items.

You can use the Q-key to quickly arm and disarm

This is another handy keyboard tip: You’ll often find yourself in a situation where you quickly want to pick something up, but can’t afford to let go of your weapon for long. The ‘Q’-key solves this dilemma. If you’ve got a weapon in your hand it’ll equip the next tool, and if you’ve got a tool in your hand it’ll equip the weapon.

Stopping movement will regenerate Energy at an impressive rate

It makes sense that a short respite will allow you to replenish your energy. Interestingly enough, this effect is even more pronounced in ARK than in Real-Life. If you’re hunted by a visibly enraged dinosaur and have gained a little on him, you should consider stopping for a second or two to bring your energy back to useful levels. It is however advisable to get a feeling for this trick before using it in a dangerous situation.

Slingshots are an excellent early game investment

Especially during the early levels melee combat is something you want to avoid. You’re not strong yet, and pretty much everything is bigger than you are (lest you encounter a scorpion which will unfortunately not end well either). The slingshot is the first real ranged weapon available to the beginner. However, that’s only one of its attractive qualities. It also generates torpor, allowing you to use it for taming, and as an additional bonus it uses stones as ammunition.

The Glowing Rays are Loot Caches

Each cache can only be accessed at a certain level, so be sure to check you’re ready before you set out.